Hi, It's been a while since I've been on the boards... I've been on zoloft for a year or so now for panic and anxiety disorder. It worked great getting rid of panic attacks and only had about 1 anxiety attack a month while on it.

WELL, I have a low budget and no insurance to cover zoloft or doc visits so, I got to where I would skip a day or two to kind of stretch my zoloft out longer. I was worried this would be bad but so far it's been great. Since I've been better from my disorder for so long now, I've decided to go off zoloft for one reason.
I've found a way that's been working for me without having withdrawl symptoms. It's the oddest thing because I never expected it....
So, anyway, skipping a day or 2 turned into skipping 3 days. I was on 50mg at this point and at the 3rd day I would start to feel the dizzy weird zaps coming on then I'd take my 50mg's, feel fine in a few hours and skip 3 more days.

I did this for about 4 weeks and then started noticing I didn't feel any zaps or anything on the 3rd day of not taking one so, I skipped to 4 days for a while and took the 50mg's then. This went on till 4 days turned into 5 without having withdrawl symptoms and 5 days turned into 6...

SO, I thought about the 1/2 life of zoloft in the system if you skipped it. I remember that day one for me being on 50mg = 1st day/50mg, 2nd day would be 25mg, 3rd day would be 12.5 and so on... After I got to where I could skip about 6 days without taking a pill I started feeling a little anxiety if I took 50mg's (like I did when I first got on zoloft) so I figured my system must not have been used to that amount anymore.

Then i decided to cut the pills and take 25mg and see what happened. I didn't need another zoloft for 8 days and took 25mg again. I didn't feel any anxiety on the 25mg at that point. I'm now on 10 days without having to take any zoloft before getting withdrawl.

It's weird but I think it's working as far as getting off without having withdrawl because as soon as I would feel a withdrawl symptom I would take a pill which got rid of any zaps, etc., then skip till I felt it again. I'm going to stay on 25mg's and skip as many days as I can inbetween doses and after some time, go down to 12.5mg till later I can be off this and see how I hold up without any zoloft.

I'm not having panic, worry, anxiety, etc.... I hope I don't after I get off it, but if I do, I feel I've learned enough CBT to get me through tough times. If not then I can always just go back on zoloft.

I don't mind either way because I really like zoloft. I just want to see if MAYBE I can live my life without it now. I've never been off it since all this started so, I have no idea how it'll go for me.

I just thought I'd share this with those of you trying or planning on going off your SSRI because it's been VERY easy this way so far. I've read some pretty spooky stories about some of you going through bad withdrawl. I always thought if I ever came off it, I'd taper down slowly (meaning take a pill every day but less and less). This skipping days has worked to my surprise without me even trying. Heck, I was just trying to save some money!

If anyone else here has done this skipping days thing and ended up getting off it (good or bad stories) please, let me know how it worked out for you.

I took Zoloft for about a year and a half (about 10 years ago), and I had to keep taking higher and higher doses for it to have any effect. I really wanted to just get off of it, but every time I tapered off, I felt bizarre. After trying to taper off for months, I finally just got sick of it and went cold turkey. It was awful for about 2 weeks. I felt really hazy and weird, but then it went away. I had tried every which way and nothing worked for me, but everyone's different, so I'm glad you found a way!

Thnaks! so far so good...... I'm going on a trip out of state soon and just hope I don't have some huge relaps while there... uggg..... The things we all have to worry about... I'm taking a few xanax "just in case"

Been around a month now without any zoloft and so far so good.. I have my moments of anxiety but it happened the worst around my period so, I'm sure that is hormone related. if I continue to have anxiety around that time every month then I'm going to look into progesterone (spelling?) cream. You only apply a little 2 weeks out of the month and is supposed to balance all the woman issues out if you get your dosage right. Soooooo that would be great! get rid of SSRI and balance out hormones so I can feel 100% normal again. That's the thing with all this though.. You never know how it will turn out till you try! Another thing so far about being off zoloft... I catch myself thinking at times that it's scarey to be without it "in my system".. I'm starting to think that "in my mind" i needed it... Like a crutch that made me feel safe. Odd how these things happen without you knowing it. No obsessive thoughts about it all though so, i guess I was on it long enough to kind of forget a little how bad it really was to panic.

I had an anxiety attack yesterday that I thought might turned into a panic attack but it did not. It was still distrubing though.... I went home and took 0.5mg of ativan which got rid of it... I just found that I have an ovarian cyst which is making me bleed between periods and I'm having more emotions that are PMS like..... pms time even when i was on zoloft was the only time i have anxiety. Could this ovarian cyst be making my female hormones out of wack? I think all of this is hormonal just because of the timing and the feelings. It's more discomfort and anxious feelings than anything with moods swings... One week after my normal period I feel 100% normal, happy, not worries, etc... It's weird.. and then comes closer to my period and I start to have issues... I think I need to try a progerteron (spelling?) cream and see what happens. But for sure need my female hormone levels checked. I could deal with the anxious feelings of it if it would get so intense at times. I thought about going back on zoloft but like i said, even zoloft didn't stop anxiety around my period so, again, that is just trying to medicate my symptoms instead of the problem. What kind of doc do I go to for hormones????
Thanks!

Well, you could call it a zap because it's a little like waves or jolts of electricity that viberate through your body and make you feel off balance. That's why "I" call it zaps.. It's a withdrawl symptom that happens to a lot of us when we go off SSRI's that sort of feels like buzzing up and down your body and head (not the sound... but the feeling). For some people it's very bad and other people it's mild... I tried getting off my SSRI a while back but couldn't handle the zaps and odd feelings from withdrawl. But I found a way to get off that worked for me which is what this thread is about.. It might not work for all people because these types of meds are so different for each person.

tpanic, I have ovarian cysts and they are really painful, like you described! You should see your gynecologist for the cysts, but see if you can get a referal to an endocrenologist (sp?) for the hormones. I went to one to have my hormones checked to see if I was premenopausal and if I had pcod (polycystic ovarian disease). It wasn't so bad....all they did was take blood and then check all my hormone levels from that.
I just read your post that you posted right before this one where you said you catch yourself worrying that you don't have anything in your system. That is so me! I feel like if I don't pop some sort of ad in the morning before I go to work, that I will have a panic attack or anxiety. I feel that way even when the ad I take isn't even working! Isn't that really strange? I'm on cymbalta now and who knows if it's helping me. I haven't had a panic attack lately, but I have no idea how I should even be feeling to feel "normal" if that makes any sense.

I'm calling an Endo Doc on Monday (tomorrow) to make an apt.... How much did your Endo visit cost for the hormones tests? I don't have insurance and have to pay cash for my vist and tests... I ended up starting my period! The color is normal and flow is heavy... I just ended my normal period about 12 days ago and I've never had a full blown period inbetween like this. When I discovered the cyst I had the dark brown spotting before and a little after my last period 12 days ago. Sooooooooo... something is for sure not right.
I know what you mean about the pills... I felt the same way before.. Even though I stopped, it some times gets in my head that this will all come back if I don't get back on it.. and it very well might... But I've been feeling fine since my period started full flow... No more anxeity so, again, it must be hormonal. But you know what, I only feel that way about taking my zoloft when I start having anxiety and now I'm fine and not worried about it anymore.. It's been about 3 months and I think of it less and less... If I can get my hormone issues & periods under control I doubt I'd ever think about it or worry at all... Heck, I had almost completely forgotten and then boom.... PMS. Mine is so much like PMS anxiety but it can get intense.

It's not looking like I'm going to an endocrenologist... Gotta be sent there by a GP, bla bla bla.... BUT I thought and endocrenologist was the Dr that checked hormones.. They're not.. They treat people with hormone issues. Sooooo, I can get all the hormones checked at a regualr Dr...
I haven't have any anxiety since last time thank God! But my period is coming up soon so, we'll see if I have it then again.
I have made an apt to see a hypnotherapist in a few days to see if he can rid me of the rest of my anxiety and my issue with driving. I still have trouble getting myself to drive. At this point I think I've done this for so long it's like second nature.... Kind of like getting back on the bike after crashing, except I didn't crash... I had panic attacks in the car (haven't had annny of those is ages!) so, what gives about this driving doo doo? I'll let you all know how it goes with the hypnotherapy!
Thanks!!!
ps... it seems that my must have ruptured my ovarian cyst because all that old blood that's dark brown from it came out like a gusher (sorry for weak tummy's) and I haven't had any pain or problems with it since then, thank God! Sheew... Getting older and dealing with all the stuff that arises with our body and mind can be exhausting!!